From Darkness The Brightest Light
by Hector Flores
Summary: How would Ichika be different if Phantom Task decided to use him after the failed attempt to make Chifuyu lose the second Mondo Grosso. A love unknowingly reaches through time and a tormented soul find happiness and love once again. As the night of his suffering comes to an end the light of her love shines for him to show him a new life.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Infinite Stratos, this is a fanfiction only.

Ichika Orimura was quite the enigma. The Orimura family was a family that had dedicated their entire family structure and rules around the idea of creating the perfect warrior. Many nations had tried to create their version of a super soldier is it through chemistry to body modification through the use of electronics.

The Orimura took it a bit more personal than that. They wanted to create this soldier through a genetic selection program, a breeding program than insured that the next generation of the family would be stronger and better than the previous. They would stop at nothing to achieve this goal. They had even cases where the selected pairs were actually close blood relatives. This was a testament to how much they were willing to do to achieve their goal.

Chifuyu was actually the very first pilot of the forever remembered white Knight incident. To this day she called Tabane an absolute nutcase for simultaneously hacking so many missile silos across multiple nations and causing them all to launch straight towards the Imperial Palace.

Chifuyu managed to shut down every single missile over the ocean and thus avoid making the capital into a disaster zone. After such display of versatility and might, there really was only thing Tabane could have done. She decided to unveil her precious creation on a worldwide conference. If Tabane Shinonono did something it usually means something on a grand scale.

As the IS was unveiled and the world learned that this new vehicle could in fact match and even overpower conventional weapons of war. The United Nations gathered and decided that the Infinite Stratos was too much if a danger to be allowed in open warfare. They decided to use this new powerful suit as a means to resolve things between the nation's of the world in the form of a competition between pilots.

The singular most well-respected pilot to date was one Chifuyu Orimura. She and her brother were abandoned by the family when genetics testing showed they did not exhibit the changes they had expected of them.

The world competition was to be called the Mondo Grosso. It would take too long of a time for the nations of that would compete to develop their own IS for their teams so again Tabane actually had IS made for the competitors of the first Mondo Grosso. It should not be a surprise that Chifuyu managed to win the first ever, Mondo Grosso, causing her to be spotted by the Orimura family and their secret paramilitary organization Phantom Task.

The creator of the IS was a close personal friend of Chifuyu and if truth was to be told she actually had a bit of a crush on her brother. Some girls apparently like younger guys. As a favor to Tabane Ichika agreed to enter the same dojo as her sister. Houki liked him like a dog loves a cat. In order words when Kendo was involved they were natural rivals.

"Damn it Ichika, why can't I beat you. " Ichika didn't like it when Houki used such language so he hit her between her ankles and caused her to fall on her face hard." First off watch the language and second off it is your lack of practice. I have a practice sword in my home to practice when I am away from the dojo. "

The two continued to go to the same dojo for eight years. You would think that after spending so much time together they would become closed, but no they still publicly maintained their rivalry. In competitions, the two were actually reprimanded for excessive brutality.

Chifuyu was also under a lot of pressure to ensure the second victory was one again by Japan. She was having enough trouble trying to evade Phantom Task and the family, she had to go to a complete arena designed and made for this singular event.

Russia was not happy that they lost the first Mondo Grosso and so they decided to get some extra help to ensure that Chifuyu would not win the gold medal yet again. Phantom Task was hired by a nation participating in preventing Chifuyu from obtaining back to back victories. The plan was simple kidnap Ichika and with him as a hostage use him to cause her to miss the finals and losing by default.

The plan was simple except they didn't count on something. Chifuyu heard that her brother was taken as a hostage and about the demands of her throwing the fight as she reached the final fight against her Russian opponent. Her response was not what the kidnappers would imagine it would be. "So he got himself kidnapped, I say this is a perfect chance to teach him some self-reliance. If he can get himself kidnapped let him escape to safety by himself."

The finals was a short fight and Chifuyu was declared the winner of her second Mondo Grosso medal. The Orimura family didn't expect that since she had spent so much time taking care of her little brother. "Well I will say this to her, she is certainly an Orimura since she was willing to sacrifice her kid brother to achieve her own goals."

The matriarch of the family looked at Ichika tied up like he was. "The real question is what shall we do with this thing? He is a reject from our genetics program. I don't imagine we can find any use for this thing." His eldest sister decided to step close to her and looked at him. "We could try to use him as a foot soldier and analyze his D. N. A to determine what made him a failure, to begin with."

The Matriarch had to admit it was a worthy test goal. "Very well but I don't want this thing unsupervised. Have M be his shadow and keep him out of my presence or causing trouble for our organization." His mother smiled and promised it would be as the matriarch wished.

"Come on Ichika stand up, I need to get those chains off you. " Madoka told him as she did as she said what she was going to do." So Chifuyu sent you to rescue me and who are you? " Madoka glared at him as he said these things to her." Let's get a few things straight shall we? I am Madoka Orimura and I had the distinct misfortune of being your twin sister. Chifuyu didn't even try to rescue you. She said that if you were dumb enough to get kidnapped you should be able to escape to safety on your own. "

This was the more heartbreaking thing he had ever experienced to date and for a second Madoka felt pity for her twin brother." Buck up brother, life in the family is not going to be as easy as living with Chifuyu you need to man up or you will not live long. "

From that day on he was simply called I and his constant training partner were called M. The two were quite the duo when it came to stealing rare and expensive IS units. The training they received allowed them to master most forms of combat, stealth, and even interrogation tactics. If Phantom Task wanted an IS stolen they would be the ones they sent for it.

After eight years of training and stealing IS I made his first failure in a mission or so Phantom Task believed. They managed to steal an experimental fire elemental IS that went by the name of Amaterasu. The only problem was that any pilot from Phantom Task that tried to use it was burned to ash. The IS seems simply would kill anyone that the IS didn't approve and it seems she didn't approve of anyone.

"No wonder they didn't have that much security on this freaking thing. I know we are going to catch hell from this I. " He simply looked at the IS in standby mode." How many times have I told you to watch your language M? It is not very ladylike behavior. " M clearly didn't care one bit if he found her not so ladylike.

" Like it matters I. It's not like I love you and I will not be paired with a genetic failure like you anyways. " I had enough of hearing M insult him over the years." I have a better idea, why don't I try to pilot it. If I can then maybe I am not such a failure, but if I can't I don't have to put up with your foul mouth again. I got nothing to lose. "

M for once actually agreed." In any case, I might get a partner that is not a freaking failure like you on the one hand and if you can pilot it I will be able to use my Silent Cypher and avoid getting punished because of your failure. "

Anything was worth getting away from her foul mouth and disrespectful ways. His time as an operative for Phantom Task would have caused major psychological trauma on someone else. Ichika's heart was as dark and cold as to could be as he assimilated the fact that combat was the only life he would ever have, especially after eight years of being constantly reminded how little Chifuyu actually cared about him.

As he stepped closer to the IS the IS began to glow red hot. He didn't care one bit. He touched it and in the span of a second, he learned everything there was about it. It seemed the IS was actually responding to him, if not outright accepting him as her pilot.

"You have got to be kidding me. This monster is actually reacting to you, now that is what I call ironic. " The IS stopped glowing and began to wrap itself around him and it went through the final fitting stage in record time." I guess this means you accept me don't you Amaterasu. Well here is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. "

Their eldest sister came to reprimanded I for his failure and instead she came into the hangar in as I finished getting off the IS and the IS became a blood red bracelet on his right hand." Well, at least you two now have personal IS of your own. This means we can have you hit harder targets from now on. The strange thing why did this thing accept him and not some of our best pilots. "

Amaterasu was not just a simple IS or even a so-called personal IS it was an IS that had a mind and heart of her own. The idea of her being treated as a mere thing made her so angry that it would cause the person who angered her so much to burn to ash. In contrast, I's treatment of her as a person and even a friend was the reason why she actually accepted him as her pilot.

Phantom Task had long given up in doing any more genetics rests on I. The Matriarch herself called further testing of a failure a waste of research funds and resources. They never expected that the actual acceptance by Amaterasu actually caused a fundamental change in I's physical make up. Ichika was not a complete failure as it turns out.

The truth was something did, in fact, burn as he went through the final fitting stage. During the final fitting stage, she noticed that he had a strange growth in a part of his brain. It looked to her as a small tumor. She decided that this tumor was not going to take from her the first and only friend she had so she burned it using microwaves.

The tumor was the thing that caused him to be labeled a genetic failure in the first place. The now awake genetics traits began to manifest more and more as the new pilot was trained in combat using his new IS.

The Amaterasu was nothing short than amazing. It was a multi-target, multi-range IS with long and short range capabilities. It had long range weapons and short range weapons that could deal with multiple enemies. Madoka joking called I was a one man army.

The thing that took them by surprise is that in all the many hours of training he never ran out of shield or weapon energy. It was only by accident that a trainer switched the visual range of her scanner that she discovered the plus ability of the Amaterasu.

When they were in perfect sync the IS could replenish energy by absorbing light. Sunlight turned out to be the optimum light for this. M as she saw him train finally began to regret her treatment of I. It seems he really would have been a wonderful mate but after years of insults and disrespectful treatment, it would take nothing short of a miracle to get him interested in her.

As Ichika Orimura was abandoned Tabane Shinonono became a recluse after Chifuyu chose not to rescue her brother during the second Mondo Grosso. She kept doing research and nothing else for years. It was until her latest IS was stolen that made her smile for the first time in years. It seems the thief of the IS that was stolen was none other than the very person she yearned to see once again.

"My Ichika is alive, after all, this time, and he are alive and what a hunk he has become. Don't you worry my sweet beloved? Now that I know you are alive and with my Amaterasu I will find you. "

Chifuyu used the subsequent Mondo Grosso as the means to get her mind off the guilt she felt about abandoning her baby brother. After so many years she was still tormented by nightmares of him asking her why did she abandon him.

This caused privately Chifuyu to become a cold and distant person. Even though publicly she was now world recognized for having won every single Mondo Grosso to date and so when the position to become the director of an Academy for IS pilots became available. She was the first person to be offered the position.

For years she would always say that she kept participating in all those Mondo Grosso as a means to honor the memory of the brother she lost. This was the standard answer as to what motivated her to fight as hard as she did on every single interview.

She also developed problems sleeping due in large part to the nightmares. She had to be medicated for Insomnia as the situation got worse over time. This caused her to value what little sleep she managed to get. As Chifuyu woke up and checked her cell phone she saw that Tabane was trying to get in touch with her. Tabane had called her dozens of times in the last hour alone.

"She has been avoiding me this long, why does she want to talk to me now? I hope that is not to yell at me again about losing her beloved. I am grateful that she made my Byakushki but sometimes I have to agree with Houki. Tabane sometimes really does act like a complete nutcase. "

She picked up her phone and dial the number of the person she didn't expect would call her." Finally, you call me Chichan. I got major news and you will not believe it is when you hear it. I found him safe and sound, we'll maybe not so safe but definitely sound. " Chifuyu was getting a small headache and she was about to hand up when she heard something that made her speechless.

" I found my beloved Ichika, he is the one that stole my Amaterasu from my Storage Depot. Did you hear me Chifuyu I said my beloved, the man I love more than anything is alive!" Chifuyu took a few seconds to calm down. "Tabane we been through this several times already. Accept it, my baby brother is dead. You really are as crazy as Houki keeps telling me you are."

Tabane was not going to take this from her. "Insane am I? Well, look at the video I sent you and tell me if the man stealing my Amaterasu doesn't look familiar." Tabane hung up and waited for Chifuyu to call her back as soon as she saw how wrong she was. The video was two parts the first was when Ichika stole the IS and the second part was about the registration and final fitting. There was no mistake the pilot was Ichika Orimura in the flesh.

The thing that shocked her was that she saw a woman looking almost like herself. "So the kidnappers were Phantom Task after all. If I remember correctly that woman could not be anyone else other than my sister. It seems Madoka has grown a lot since last I saw her. I don't know what is worse that she is with him or that Ichika is somehow now a member of the organization I hate most. "


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Infinite Stratos, this is a fanfiction only.

From the day Ichika got his IS things really began turn for the better, as the very least for Phantom Task. The two actually were quite deadly together. Silent Cypher was a long range multi-target IS which kept most of the enemy at long range and even if they did reach the close range Amaterasu made short worked of them.

Everyone was wondering why the sudden change in the former genetic failure. His own mother even began doing more tests and was astonished to find that the missing responses from the previous test were not only now present but they actually seem to be getting stronger all the time.

Phantom Task's main operations were in the realm of mercenary work. They hired themselves and their pilots to do all kinds of black ops operations for the many nations around the world. In fact, they did so many of these operations that it was the reason why not a single law enforcement agency was that active in trying to stop them.

Today's mission was not the exception. The American government wanted the systematic elimination of several drug cartels that were causing them trouble. The cartels were mostly in South America and some in South East Asia. I and M were tasked with the elimination of the heroine fields and the cartel that was primarily in the nation of Laos.

"I how much longer before we get there? You know I hate these damn cargo containers. " Madoka had to agree she too felt like a caged bird but the plan was to use the container as a means to enter the cartel main staging area without letting them know they were there at all." I would rather fly and rain death from above too I, but we can't disobey our orders. You remember what happened to you last time?"

Ichika felt a shiver down his back as if someone was walking on his grave. "I told you once and I will tell you a thousand times that was not my fault. If you had hit the gasoline tank like I told you they would not have gotten to harm our people as badly." Madoka looked at him and began to remember a time when he was still so innocent and looked like he couldn't harm a fly.

"It would have killed several of our men," Madoka remembered the result of that mission. 'I was right in his assessment but I sooner eat poison than admit that to him.' the container finally stopped. The idiots truly believed they were getting some new weapons. As the container opened Ichika let loose with his flame blaster and burned a group of the cartel were they stood.

Ichika and Madoka cleared out the warehouse of the enemy rather quickly. Ichika acted as a distraction at first and thus gave Madoka plenty of time to get into a nice sniping position. The poor dumb criminals simply never expected a pair of teenage looking people to put up this much of a fight. "I, I need a status report on the mission."

Ichika was happy that it was an audio only channel. He sure as hell didn't want to see the look on his eldest sister's face when he gave his report. "80% of all drug production facilities destroyed and only a few dozen armed men to exterminate. We shall be done and gone in the next couple of minutes. We will wait at the safe house for further orders."

Ichika could have sworn he could practically hear her laughing from sheer joy. "Very well, I will contact you both soon." The cartel was burned to ash and the drug processing plant was nothing more than a burned ruin by the time he was done. "M it's time to go. We got places to be and people to kill."

"I know that I, you don't need to tell me the obvious. " the two left and activated their optic camouflage as they took off in the direction of the shipping tanker that was actually their safe house. Being in international waters did help quite a bit. The main terminal in their hangar began to flash and Madoka knew what was going to happen next.

The one person Madoka didn't like even less than Chifuyu appeared on the screen. "You're to help our Colombian unit and deal with a particular troubling cartel. How in the world did a good of drug dealers get that many IS and trained pilots it is something I will never figure out."

Ichika looked at Madoka and smiled a cold smile. "Guess this prove the old saying." Madoka had to ask what saying he was referring to. "I guess you must tell me which of your favorite sayings are you referring to. We aren't all mind readers you know." Ichika got a new magazine for his side arm and loaded the first bullet. "No, rest for the wicked."

The mission concluded with two drug cartels out of business, several dozen men dead and a few dozen IS that we're picked clean for working parts. All in all, it was a very productive couple of days but deep down the matriarch still could not figure the major mystery that made itself present to her.

"Chifuyu and Ichika were kicked out of the family because they didn't display the expected genetic results. Only after he was accepted by his IS he began showing the expected results. His bioreadings actually continue to grow beyond that of what we expected. What if Chifuyu also went through the very same change? Could it be the real reason she has won so many Mondo Grosso while nobody has been able to beat her?"

The matriarch continued looking at the improved results she was getting from the last tests. "Then there us a question of why Ichika while being a boy can actually pilot an IS? To date, the IS has typically only chosen female pilots. So why can Ichika pilot the IS and do it so well? This is getting me more questions than answers."

The two of them were made to live together the only one explanation that they were ever told was that living together increased their team synchro ratio. To Ichika it was just an excuse to have Madoka keep an eye on him and for Madoka, this was just yet another chore she did not even want to so.

It was close to his birthday that Ichika learned enough of the security routines and pass codes to attempt his first attempt at escaping. This caught everyone by surprise as the alarm did not activate the second the launch Bay was opened. It did, however, trigger the silent alarms and it made the people watching think for a second that I was simply going to get some more IS practice time.

It was until the Matriarch that ordered them to shut down all launch Bay functions and did not permit I to launch that the people on watch realized what was really going on. Madoka was the first on the scene in her IS and she didn't look happy at all. "I what has gotten into you? Why are you still trying to escape? I should think that you are very happy doing the work we are doing."

Ichika tried to bluff his way out of this by saying he was not escaping. He simply felt like flying a little to relax after their back to back cartel elimination missions. Madoka was not buying such a feeble excuse for a second. "Is that so, well as it turns out I could also use some flight time to relax so I am going with you. But you know what will happen if you are lying to me? Don't you Ichika?"

Ichika silently cursed his luck. The Silent Cypher was more than able to shut him down and since it was nighttime he would not he able to replenish the energy for his shields as quick as she could fire at him. His first attempt at escaping ended up being a failure and the other higher members of Phantom Task had to reinforce their codes and security protocols.

The Matriarch was silently smiling as she saw the effort that Ichika put into escaping. "Even in failure Ichika my only son continues to try to exploit any security weak point and thus making our security even better. I don't know whether to feel proud or worry that he will continue to try to escape us."

Autumn flat out said that it might have to do with the fact that they treated like a thing, instead of a person and unlike most members he actually didn't have much of a social life. Actually, any sort of relationship to speak off. The guy might be a good pilot and operative but he still had needs that simply were not being met.

"He has M with him most of the day, isn't that enough? " The eldest sister looked at her mother and began to shake her head. " Honestly speaking those two get along as oil and water. I am more surprised they haven't tried killing each other by now. I can barely stand being with her in operations and as soon as they return he is either doing maintenance on his IS or working out."

The Matriarch did find this to be quite troubling but she didn't want to waste any more time on what she called emotional dribble. She went to see if there were any more missions to keep Ichika's mind busy. Hopefully busy enough that he will not have time to even think about escaping.

Tabane had several thousand video feeds from around the world but not a one that could tell her where Ichika was. "Where in the world are you?" She kept asking an old picture of her and Ichika together. "Legal means are getting nowhere. Could Ichika be involved in black ops? It's hard to imagine. My Ichika was the sweetest, kindest and most peace loving guy there ever was. I simply can't imagine him being a killer."

Tabane kept on searching until she found one day the video from a CIA surveillance satellite. For a super genius like herself hacking into the satellite was as easy as breathing. She saw the video feed and she could not believe it. Amaterasu was burning a Colombian cartel's drug plant to ashes and there was only one person who could pilot that IS.

"Ha, you can't hide from me Ichika. I found you and now how to get that sister of yours to go and rescue you. Better yet are you even in that country still. I better check for any form of clandestine transportation. Well as far as I can tell there is that ugly ship again in international waters. I mean how tacky can you get an environmentalist logo on a cargo ship. "

That is when it hit her, the logo. She needed to focus closer on the logo. Sure enough, when she focused on the logo and dismantled the image she found a hidden message that was hard to miss. 'S. O. S. I. O.' The logo on the ship was an SOS from Ichika and the fact that it was tacky was to draw attention to it.

"Great now the only thing I need to do is somehow track that cargo ship. Once I figure where that ship is going to be next. I can call Chichan and tell her where she can go to rescue her brother, and that is if she will hear me out or if she cares about rescuing her brother at all. I swear she cares more about that stupid Academy than she does her own brother sometimes. "

Chifuyu had quite the busy day between department meetings, budget planning and taking care of discipline problems from a school chuck full of hormonal teenage girls life was not as pleasant as it once was. At the very least she had Ichika to relieve some of the stress by getting him to give her a massage.

Everything else aside the guy was a world class expert when it came to two things last time she saw him, the first was cooking and the second was his massage therapy. She truly wanted to believe he was alive, but how could she? The guy might have even tried leaving a message on an email or a phone recording but since he didn't he obviously was dead.

Not the smartest philosophy but with all the stress she got every day you really can't expect much better. Ichika was slowly running out of patience as it is and he even contemplated killing every single moron that stood between himself and his escape path. He really hated listening to that godawful music Madoka seemed to enjoy so much.

"For the last time Madoka I can barely hear my own thoughts with all that racket you call music. Can you at least try something that doesn't consider explosions to be an acceptable music instrument? " Madoka was too much into the beat to care."Ichika first they are not explosions they are drums, second get some earplugs."

Ichika looked at her and was this close to grabbing a chair and using her head as a drum. "And how am I supposed to go and buy earplugs when I am either under constant guard or out in the middle of nowhere?" Madoka continued to listen to her music. "That's your problem not mine."

The Matriarch had to admit that M's plan was crude but if keeping this angry was what they needed to keep him from trying to escape that is what they would have to do. She did, however, have to agree with two things. She did need to soundproof that room and that racket was annoying.

It took a grand total of fifty armed men to hold him back as he simply couldn't stand it anymore. To Autumn fifty grunts were not enough of a price to lose someone of his efficiency. He kept on trying to escape, it was almost of if he hated his time as an operative of Phantom Task.

They did some of the most cutting-edge research in most weapons and armor fields, took care of the trash the world governments didn't have the backbone or stomach to do what was necessary. The only negative was a little collateral damage here and there. To keep the world safe was a job for those with a weak stomach or what her mother called a flower child.

After all the good they did, how could he possibly want to escape? Autumn simply could not understand why? She didn't understand that he actually was there against him will, and Madoka was doing everything she could to make his life unbearable. If you ask Ichika whether or not he would cry if he found out Madoka was dead? The current answer would be no.

Tabane at long last found a way to track the cargo ship. It was so simple, all she needed was to tag the computer that controlled the ships instruments with a simple computer virus that would tell her the current location of the ship. It was like a GPS Beacon she could access anytime.

As soon as she got the current location she decided to call Chifuyu for the thousandth time. Like every other time she didn't even pick up. "Ok, Chichan if you don't really care that your own brother is slowly being turned into a homicidal maniac I guess I am wasting my time talking to you. If you do care to look at the map I sent you in your email. That is where Ichika will be and more than likely that bimbo little sister of yours is going to be there too. "

Chifuyu had to declare herself that she was not feeling well and that she would need to take a week off to get better. The board that governed the Academy didn't actually like it, but they had no recourse but to accept. She didn't ask for a sick leave as often as the other faculty. Chifuyu got aboard her IS and took off toward the location on the map.

"If this is a joke, I swear the poor unfortunate people at this location are not going to live to regret it. I do hope Ichika is here, and that he is safe. " The reason for the fake sick leave was simple she went and tried to do the thing she always regretted not having done during the second Mondo Grosso. She went to try and rescue her brother.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Infinite Stratos, this is a fanfiction only.

As Chifuyu landed near the port where the cargo ship was she was met with heavy opposition. It mattered not to her she had one thing on her mind and that was getting her brother back. As one IS fell completely shut down she held the pilot in the grip of her IS. "Where is Ichika Orimura?" it was a simple question but the glare she was giving her terrified the poor pilot so much.

"I don't know any Ichika Orimura, I only know two officers in this port and they go by codenames and nothing more. There is the pilot of the Silent Cypher M and the pilot of the Red Amaterasu I. I don't know any Ichika Orimura I swear. "

This pilot must really be afraid for her life to spill everything so easily or she was lying." Tell me where I am? And so help me if you are lying... " the scared pilot said I liked to keep an eye for enemies from the most open side of the deck of the cargo ship.

She let got the unconscious pilot and headed that way. Sure enough, there was a rather impressive IS scanning the horizon. She decided to meet the supposed I head-on and launched an attack. She was knocked back by a long range shot from one of the masts on the cargo ship.

"Isn't this nice I our long lost sister decided to pay us a visit. Look how friendly is the sister you keep singing praises off greets you. " Ichika turned to look at Chifuyu and he looked at her with a cold glare." Chifuyu you pretty much abandon me years ago, why the sudden need to find me now? It is not like I was that important to you in the first place. "

Each word hurt her as he said them,but even though she was hurting he continued." In fact, I would think you be grateful to this group for lightening your burden and letting you enjoy your life free of having to take care of me. Is this how you thank Phantom Task for making your life better? "

Chifuyu was close to tears as she heard him say such things." I could not negotiate or give in to the demands of terrorists like Phantom Task. If I had gone to save you they would have done the same over and over again since they would know it would work. I did it t to save the lives of all the future potential hostages. "

Ichika saw the tears on her cheeks and for an instant, he saw that she was not lying." Oh, please. You would say anything to justify your actions that day. You didn't like to have to sacrifice your own goals and dreams because you had to take care of your baby brother. You can say anything you want Chifuyu but I am not buying it. " Madoka was ready to strike again, only Ichika was the only person who stopped her.

" I need to hear this M. Don't interrupt, I have waited years to have this conversation. " Madoka didn't like this one bit." She is just trying to confuse you and get you to betray us. " Ichika looked at her and simply asked if she trusted him, she answered with her life.

" So Chifuyu what do you want? Forgiveness, Redemption or Revenge? What do you want? I hate to hurry you but unlike you, we both have a very busy day ahead of us. We don't have as much free time to spend on personal goals. " Chifuyu heard that he was still talking to her with such cold tone even after what she told him.

" You want to know what I want? I want you to come back home that is what I want. I want my brother back in my life so that I can live a single day without the horrible pain I have ever time I remember what happened that day. I want to show you there is a better life than being a Guinea pig or a hired gun for Phantom Task. "

"Ichika, I am sorry that I didn't rescue you before. I was representing our nation and as such I couldn't leave the tournament no matter what, even if it meant not coming to rescue my baby brother. I am sure you understand why?" Ichika understood alright. Amaterasu, however, did not think of her words as anything other than pathetic excuses.

"Look Chifuyu, you want me to accept your apology. Fine, I will accept it but I am not the innocent little brother you once knew. I have done some rather horrible things these past years. What little innocence I had has been gone for quite some time. Do you think your precious little students will be comfortable with a confirmed, unrepentant killer among them? "

Chifuyu had to ask how many people he has killed? Madoka couldn't help but laugh as she heard that question." Are you asking this month or this year? This month close to 80 it has been a rather slow month for us. This year I actually lost count but I would think close to the thousands. "

Chifuyu didn't like the sound of that at all." Ichika they were human beings how can you not feel any remorse taking someone's life? " Ichika crossed his arms and glared at her almost with a killer glint showing in his eyes." I will show no mercy to drug dealing cartels, human traffickers, and terrorist organizations Chifuyu. I find them, and there is only one outcome that would cross my mind. A whole bunch of scumbags burned to ash and a few hundred people saved from being sex slaves. I consider that a good day. "

Chifuyu was actually not expecting Phantom Task sending him to such dangerous work." I still think you don't need to stay with them Ichika. Come home and let me show you what other things an IS is useful for. "

Madoka had enough of this." Look Chifuyu, you don't like the family and quite frankly the family doesn't hold you in such high regard either. The only reason you are still alive is because I asked me to let him hear you out. This is getting is nowhere and we have work to do. We aren't all major sports celebrities like some people,we have to earn our food. "

Chifuyu was also quite sick of Madoka interrupting the conversation." Madoka, M, whatever you want to be called or are called even though you hate it. I don't care that you clearly hate me and that do want to kill me. Believe me, the feeling right now is quite mutual. "

Tabane decided at that moment to use Chifuyu's IS as a communication relay and she hacked into the heads up display for the Amaterasu. To a super genius like her, it was no biggie." Ichika will you stop going down repressed resentment Lane and think for a second. If you miss this chance you are going to end up eventually breaking a beautiful girl's heart. In case I have to be blunt and you didn't take the hint. The heart I was talking about is mine!"

Ichika could not help but blush as she said that. Tabane was not the only one with the long crush it seems. "Tabane, while it is nice to see you again. By the way, did you do something to your hair? It looks nice from this angle." Tabane began to blush as well as he had noticed she had changed her hairstyle.

"I am doing some good work here Tabane. I lost count how many drug cartels I had a hand in ending." Tabane looked at something in her terminal and just looked at the number. "69 cartels and 42 slave trafficking groups, but who is counting. Listen Ichika I hacked the IS computer and their main computer just a few days ago."

She began to go through some files. "Look Ichika they are letting you take care of those criminal groups to improve their public relations with the nations of the world and to give you what they call busy work. It says right here that once they figure out why you can pilot an IS and be able to replicate it, then they will decide to do away with you. They finished the genetics testing already Ichika. "

This was not sounding good if what she said was true." Listen to Chifuyu and get out of there. I already unlocked the Amaterasu mirage camouflage. Pretend to be overpowered by Chifuyu and escape from there. I already sent you a location where you two can escape and they will never even notice. "

Ichika did not like the idea of pretending to be weaker than he was." Alright, Tabane, I will do as you ask but you will owe me big for this. " Tabane looked at him with a confused look on her face." Really Ichika what exactly will I owe you? " He decided to end the communication with two words. 'a date.'

To say that Tabane was one happy woman as she realized what he said." I can't believe Ichika while fighting asked me out on a date. I will certainly make that date be something to remember, you can bet on that Ichika Orimura. "

Madoka had no clue what I was going on for a few minutes now Ichika was actually struggling against the Byakushki and it seems they would actually need back up as her instruments showed multiple German IS headed her way. She didn't like leaving Ichika to go and request back up but she liked the idea of being captured by the Germans even less.

As soon as the Silent Cypher was no longer in radar, he stopped fighting Chifuyu which caught her by surprise. "So I gather Tabane talked some sense into you." Ichika was still angry at her so he glared at her. "Let's just say she made a more compelling argument than you. I wonder what Tabane offered the Germans to come and provide back up. Germans are not known for being charitable."

The main officer of the unit came up to them and boy did she not look friendly at all. "Who among you is a person named Ichika Orimura?" Ichika heard the question and decided to introduce himself.

"Good, then let us waste no more time. My name is Captain Clarisa Bodwig. Accordance with the agreement made with one Tabane Shinonono, you Ichika Orimura are to be placed under my command and serve for no more and no less than four years as an IS instructor in my unit. This was the agreed upon cost for our providing reinforcements in your escape from Phantom Task. Do you have any questions? "

Ichika was surprised that Tabane pretty much agreed to this sort of a deal." Do I need to purchase anything before my transfer is complete? " Clarisa liked that he was not against the deal and that he was already focused on what he needed to do. " No Lieutenant, all your personal items, equipment and uniforms shall he provided for you back on base. "

Chifuyu actually wanted to complain about this entire thing. She was under the impression that he actually was accepting the entire deal simply to get away from her. She even planned to have a wonderful reunion dinner for the two of them and spend some time catching up on what had happened to him since she saw him last.

"Well, Chifuyu you heard the Captain. I really must get to work. I would say it was nice seeing you again but let's face it we both know that would be an absolute lie. Enjoy your time as a celebrity and I hope you have a happy life. I know I will be ecstatic to be as far away from you as I can be. "

The transport plane arrived and the German IS units began to board it. Ichika was the last and as he was boarding he heard something strange from Chifuyu. She screamed to watch what he eats and to remember to wash behind his ears. The transport plane closed the hatch and took off. 'Like she has the right to say something like that in the first place. I been able to take care of myself fine till now and that is none of her business.'

Clarisa saw him exit his IS and saw the blood red bracelet on his arm. "Well, Lieutenant I hope we can have a productive time together." He saw her hand and caught it. The handshake made Clarisa realize he had quite the grip. "I will not disappoint you, Captain. Of that, you can be sure off."

From that day on Ichika Orimura served as an IS instructor. First to the beginners of the unit and as time progressed he became the instructor of the very elite pilots in the IS program. The sister of the captain used to hang on his every word. In the first year as an instructor, he made quite the impression with the people in the unit. They even came up with a nickname or a call sign depending who you asked. They called him the Crimson Warrior.

The date was actually rather nice and tender. Tabane managed to get permission for them to have a nice dinner in the officer's club, they watched a movie and even took her for a bit of music and dancing. The night ended with him taking her back to her hotel and giving her a good night kiss.

Tabane for one did not want it to end and knowing that he had work the next day they spent a few hours in the morning when she went to meet him at the chow hall for breakfast. "Captain Clarisa, who is that strangely woman eating with Instructor Orimura?" Laura asked her as professional as she could.

"That would be his future wife, Tabane Shinonono. Don't stare Laura it is not becoming someone of our family. " Laura suddenly felt like she just lost her appetite for some strange reason.


End file.
